The bronze art pieces stolen from a beloved Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Denver, Colorado, have been recovered, local police announced on Tuesday.
Last week, officials were notified that pieces were missing from the “I Have A Dream” monument at Denver’s City Park. The suspects took a bronze panel — which was later found cut into four pieces — and two emblems from the structure.
Dr. Vern Howard, chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission, told ABC News that the plaque alone is worth an estimated $75,000.
Police said the suspects also swiped “seven bronze pieces” from the Joseph Addison Thatcher Memorial fountain and sold all the artworks “as scrap metal to a local business,” according to a press release. When law enforcement obtained the pieces, they returned them to the art agency that manages the monuments.
An investigation revealed that the theft at the MLK memorial happened in the early hours of Feb 18. It’s unclear when the suspects took the art pieces from the fountain. Denver Police said they didn’t realize the pieces vanished until they went to the scrap metal shop.
“Because the stolen pieces from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream” monument and Joseph Addison Thatcher Memorial fountain were sold as scrap metal, the incident does not appear at this time to be bias-motivated. However, investigators’ final findings will be presented to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, which determines charges,” Denver Police said in a statement.
Howard previously said he believed that more than one person was involved due to the weight of the pieces. Officials released a photo of the suspect in this case, identified as 67-year-old Herman Duran. The identity of the second suspect has yet to be determined. Police are offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to their capture. Tipsters could remain anonymous.
“This will not deter us. We will continue to march. We will continue to seek justice. We will continue to seek love,” Howard told local news.
